Progressive relaxation: excellent tool for recovery

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I guess it is now 1.5 years since I took my last dose, and I have good news. Recovery has proceeded to an extent I really didn’t know it could.

 

The majority of the progress since my last update (I think I felt around 90% better at the time, was 5 months out) has been recent, and brought about by practice of progressive relaxation / yoga nidra. The idea is to use various techniques to relax your body evermore. The benefits have been obvious since the first session. It taught me to relax. It has cured my permanent and severe bloating and completely cleared up my breathing. These were problems even prior to getting on benzos. Mentally the benefits are obvious as well in terms of improved clarity and presence.

 

When I started I would  simply search for guided yoga nidras / progressive relaxation, and I do an approximately 30 minute session every day. More than 2/3rds into each session, I am still finding mores ways and places to let go of tension, just to give you an idea. You just keep gently looking for it, and gently trying to let go even more, even if you think you can’t possibly. It is a skill that you get better at.

 

Some of my favourite devices are (and typically in this order too):

- Counting sloowly to 10. With each number, I let go in a new, deeper way.

- Scanning the body. Starting with the feet, I imagine breathing into them, and when exhaling, leaving them completely and utterly loose. Then moving up through the body ever so slowly.

- Imagining that I am slowly drifting downwards into complete stillness. I imagine the sensation of relaxation and looseness of a full-body massage, the comfort of creeping into bed after a shower, the peace of rain on the window, while just slowly drifting into letting go even more.

- You can experiment with 4-7-8 breathing as well

 

At some level it really does become about allowing yourself to let go even more.

 

I hope this will help someone else too. It is also excellent instead of a powernap.

[[Br...]]

Thanks for sharing this - progressive relaxation is a great tool for everyone to have in the toolbox.  It's fantastic you practice it everyday!

 

Brighterday